OUR OWN LOCAL PRODUCTS

Products of the garden and the Rivau’s farm

Our organic vegetables garden produce are served in our two restaurants (salads, peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, pumpkins…). We are part of local initiative of the Loire Valley, which promotes local and regional agriculture.

Our products such as honey, wines and soups are available in both of our restaurant or for purchase in our boutique. Among the homemade soups produced with the garden’s cucurbits, you can taste Berry squash or Etampes pumpkin soup, two local variety, depending on the harvest. It permit to learn to recognize the differences in taste of each variety.

The Château du Rivau kitchen’s garden has been awarded the « Vegetables Conservatory » label, helping to preserve vegetables native to the region.

Four AOC Chinon wines and one sparkling wine

The fruit of a rigorous selection of wines from the Chinon AOC, Château du Rivau recommends you :
– A rosé wine (Cabernet Franc) : La Fée du Rivau
– A fresh, fruity red wine (Cabernet Franc) : Le Rivau
– A full-bodied red wine (Cabernet Franc) : Le Donjon du Rivau, aged in oak barrels
– A white wine (Chenin): L’Artémis,
– A sparkling Blanc de Noir (Cabernet Franc): Effervescences au Château du Rivau, new in 2024

These wines can be tasted in our two restaurants and are also on sale in the château shop.

These wines are part of the Chinon AOC. This AOC, which has existed since 1937, is one of the first in France. Vineyards developed in Chinon as early as the 4th century. The Loire and Vienne rivers accompanied its development, making it easy to export wine production and spreading its reputation. Chinon wine was served at the court of kings Henry II Plantagenet, Philippe Auguste and Charles VII. It was at this time that the Cabernet Franc grape variety arrived in the region.

Honey from our gardens

We produce our own honey in the garden of the Château du Rivau. This allows us to manage the provenance of our products, but also to maintain an ecosystem within the gardens.

Indeed, bees play an important role in creating links between wild ecosystems and agricultural production by transporting the various pollens found in plants. Thanks to them, many food resources are produced. As bees are essential to human and animal life, many conservation initiatives have been put in place to protect them. Raising awareness among the younger generation is one of our mission. We contribute through numerous events and educational visits throughout the year.

Did you know that bees move between 3 and 9 kilometers around the hives to gather the flowers they need to produce honey ? The type of honey produced depends on the harvest, which at Le Rivau takes place minimum twice a year, in spring and in summer. During these harvests, each honeycomb frame can weigh from 10 to 15 kilos…

Our gift shop

Le Rivau’s boutique sells our own honey, soup and wine, as well as some organic seeds from our gardens (depending on the season). We also offer gardening products used in the upkeep of the gardens, souvenirs for the whole family, as well as numerous books on castles, the Middle Ages, gardens and fairies.